February 7, 2021

February 7, 2021 By

Eve-Marie Becker (University of Muenster) has published an excellent book on the concept of humility in Paul and early Christianity (German edition published in 2015; ET 2020). This is a wide-ranging study that looks at the ancient meaning of tapeinophrosynē (“humility”), Paul’s usage in Philippians and other letters, other uses in the New Testament, and also in the Apostolic Fathers and Patristic writers. Marie-Becker is also interested in what the ethical concept of humility contributes to modern European societies today (see pg. 14).

Here a few parts of the book that I found especially interesting:

  • Outside of Paul’s use of tapeinophrosynē, this term only appears in Epictetus and Josephus in the first and early second centuries CE. Paul seems to have invested theological and rhetorically in tapeinophrosynē especially in Philippians, giving rise to a kind of “humility” movement in early Christianity.

 

  • Inspired by the Septuagint and Jewish tradition, Paul may have coined tapeinophrosynē himself in Philippians: “He bulds on Israel’s religious conception of lowliness and advances—in contact with the so-called pagan outside world—the program of a productive and consistent ‘reversal of all values'” (58).

 

  • What is humility according to Paul? Becker repeatedly emphasizes that (1) it is communally-oriented and (2) it imitates the example of Christ. But I found a succinct statement on humility on page 111: “humility realizes itself concretely as individual…renunciation of one’s own status possibilities in the service of the community…The guiding framework is the ecclesia.”

 

  • Becker notes that Christians after the first century appear to have used the term “humble” or “lowly” as a title, as in the 3rd century graffito from Dura Europos: “Sisaeus, the humble” (Siseon ton tapinon) (see pg. 2). This underscores the theological importance of humility in Christianity and also the impact of Paul’s formation of how believers think about life together in the community.

Becker has packed lots of information and insight into a relatively short book (150pp.). If you want to do a deep dive into the concept of humility in Paul and early Christianity, this is a must-read book.

February 4, 2021

February 4, 2021 By

This is part 3 of an ongoing series 0n Accordance. This time we will be talking about doing deeper word studies.

part 1: Translation Comparison

part 2: Greek Lexicons

Going Deeper with Word Studies

One of the main uses of Accordance in my own research involves the ability to search for a Greek word (from the New Testament) in parallel and related texts like the Septuagint, Josephus, Philo, Epictetus, the OT Pseudepigrapha, the Greek texts of Qumran, and also reception-related material like the Apostolic Fathers, Apocryphal Gospels, and Greek Patristic writers.

Why not just use the lexicons? I don’t trust them! I find that sometimes I disagree with the lexicons, sometimes they miss things. But also because I might spot some kind of connection between texts that is not obvious in a short lexical entry. Also, I often get the “feel” for a word by actually seeing it in use in texts. This is helpful when you have a word appear in the NT just once or twice, but is more common in other texts. Take, for example, the word mueō (“I am initiated into a secret”), which only appears in Phil 4:12 in the New Testament. One gets a better grasp of what this word means by looking at its usage in Philo, Epictetus, and the Pseudepigrapha. Accordance offers both the Greek and English translation of most of these parallel texts. You can pull them up with a quick click of a button (see video).

This sounds like a lot of work to study one word, right? Yes, but this is exactly what Accordance is for, to let the student dive deep into the details. If you want to do quick study, use a commentary.

Is this going to cost me $$$? The short answer—yes, if you want my set up. But later in this series I will give pointers on what to buy, and I will scale my recommendations, budget Accordance, complete Bible study Accordance, advanced Accordance.

What if I don’t know Greek? For doing this kind of deeper word study, it would be challenging and perhaps even dangerous to try to glean insights from parallel texts without knowing Greek. It takes some training and know-how. But later in this series I will talk about how Accordance can serve students who don’t know Greek and want to use some basic tools.

Watch a Short Tutorial Below

WORD USAGE FEATURE

January 29, 2021

January 29, 2021 By

This blog series has a tragic beginning, but a happy ending. Over the past year or two, my Macbook updated the OS to the point I could no longer run Bibleworks, which I had faithfully used for more than fifteen years. Tragic indeed. I felt…alone. But after a period of grief, I knew I had to get out there and meet new research programs. Now, I am happily connected to Accordance Bible Software. 

I get lots of questions from students and pastors about Bible software. I use different apps and tools (like Logos), but Accordance gets the most use, because of its efficiency, resources, speed, and simplicity. It runs really clean on a Mac and I have enjoyed connecting with the good folks at Accordance.

So, I will be breaking my reflections on Accordance into several little parts to highlight various features. Much like buying a laptop or a car, you know it is a big investment, so you want to be sure it will get used well and serve your needs for years to come. I get it! 

In this series, I will use a mixture of written text and very short videos. Some folks will want a quick read, others more of a visual walkthrough. If there are things you want to know, leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Thanks!

Accordance Bible Software is designed to elevate productivity and bring efficiency and convenience to rigorous Bible study (and study of other ancient texts).

Do you need to know Greek and Hebrew?

The short answer is YES. Accordance supports students of the Bible in advanced study of the original text. Sure, you could look up “interlinear” features and get basic word meanings if you don’t know Greek, but you would not be really utilizing the main reasons for the software. Better to use something like StepBible (*Free*) to do some basic word study research.

 

I have (1) year of Greek grammar, is that enough?

That should be enough if you learned well the basics of Greek (or Hebrew) grammar and syntax. Accordance has features that will “help” you parse words and clue you in to word meanings.

 

What would I actually USE Accordance for?

If I had to boil my use of Accordance down to a handful of key features, it would be this:

(1) Reading—I pull up the Greek Bible and an English translation (or 2 or 3 or 10) and read on Accordance. They have mobile device apps too for reading on the go.

(2) Lexicons—I can quickly pull up word meanings from several Greek lexicons and dictionaries.

(3) Quick ET Comparison—with a quick “toggle” I can pull up 10+ English translations on a particular verse and see how they compare. I do this a lot for sermon prep and academic research.

(4) Deeper Word Studies—If there is a particular Greek or Hebrew word I want to study, I can tell Accordance to search for that same word in other ancient texts, like Philo, Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, OT Pseudepigrapha, the Septuagint/Apocrypha, or the Apostolic Fathers and Patristic writings, or Non-Jewish Hellenistic texts like Epictetus. For students and scholars, this is a massive benefit. Doing this kind of comparative study has sparked several academic articles I have written.

(5) Library All-in-One—Accordance has a large library of secondary sources you can purchase like commentaries, dictionaries, textbooks, etc. I know some folks that swear by this, I don’t buy much from Accordance in this category. But if you wanted to, they have tons of stuff available.

(6) Sales and Discounts—Accordance runs lots of weekly or monthly sales on resources, so you can get a great discount on resources and digital books. Sometimes their sales allow you to buy a key resource for several hundred dollars less than the print versions.

How much, *gulp*, is Accordance going to set me back?

There are lots of packages to choose from, in fact it can be overwhelming. Later in this series, I will make some recommendations, but I would suspect a seminary-trained pastor would need to spend $500-1000 to get up and running with a set-up that I will be talking about. It’s not cheap, but the print versions of the resources you get would add up to much more and overwhelm your desk!

In the video below (6 minutes), I do a quick walkthrough of some Accordance features, with a special focus on the “Text Browser” window.

 

January 22, 2021

January 22, 2021 By

Note the sections below: General Resources, Jewish History and Literature, Greco-Roman Literature and Context, Primary Sources and Translations, and Other Resources

General Resources

Dictionary of New Testament Background [<– Click Here]

 

 

 

Warren Carter, Seven Events That Shaped the New Testament World

 

 

 

David A. deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture

 

 

 

Craig A. Evans, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies

 

 

 

Joel Green and Lee Martin McDonald, ed. The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts [<– Click Here]

 

 

 

Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

 

 

 

N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God

 

 

 

Jewish History and Literature

coming soon

Shaye Cohen, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah

 

 

 

John J. Collins and Daniel C. Harlow, ed. The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism [<– Click Here]

 

 

 

David deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha, 2nd ed. 

 

 

 

Susan Docherty, The Jewish Pseudepigrapha: An Introduction to the Literature of the Second Temple Period [<– Click Here]

 

 

 

James D.G. Dunn, The Parting of the Ways: Between Christianity and Judaism and Their Significance for the Character of Christianity

 

 

 

Daniel M. Gurner,  Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism

 

 

 

Matthias Henze, Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus [<– Click Here]

 

 

Steve Mason, Josephus and the New Testament, 2nd ed.

 

 

 

E.P. Sanders, Judaism: Practice and Belief, 63 BCE-66 CE

 

 

 

Oskar Skarsaune, In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity

 

 

 

Kenneth Schenck, A Brief Guide to Philo

 

 

 

James VanderKam, The Dead Sea Scrolls Today, Revised Edition

 

 

 

Greco-Roman Literature and Context

coming soon

Primary Sources and Translations

coming soon

SEPTUAGINT: A New English Translation of the Septuagint

 

 

 

OT PSEUDEPIGRAPHA: The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Charlesworth)

 

 

JOSEPHUS: The Complete Works

 

 

 

PHILO: The Works of Philo

 

 

 

DEAD SEA SCROLLS: The Dead Sea Scrolls, Study Edition

 

 

 

Other Resources

coming soon

Reading Romans in Context: Paul and Second Temple Judaism

 

 

 

Reading Revelation in Context: John’s Apocalypse and Second Temple Judaism

 

 

Reading Mark in Context: Jesus and Second Temple Judaism

 

May 11, 2020

May 11, 2020 By

As college and seminary spring terms wind down, I have had several people as me about how to sharpen or keep up with their Greek this summer. There are many good resources for that, including Karen Jobes’ excellent Septuagint reader and Hendrickson’s Keep Up your Biblical Greek in Two Minutes a Day. But I would also highly recommend the FREE Greek reader that I designed along with me students in 2018: Intermediate Biblical Greek Reader: Galatians and Related Texts (co-edited with my friend Jonah Sandford)

It walks through, not just Galatians, but also the wider LXX passages quoted by Paul in Galatians, the James 2 text that has similar wording and themes, and a selection from Chrysostom’s homilies on Galatians. There is a concluding discussion of Marcion’s supposed redaction of Galatians.

I was pleased to see that this reader has been downloaded over 4000 times by readers across the globe. Below you will see the download distribution across the US, and also South America and Africa. (Not to mention Europe and Australia). It warms my heart to know that students who want to strengthen their Greek have a free way to do so.

A number of institutions have told me that they have used this textbook for official courses, independent studies, or unofficial groups that meet to improve their Greek (including Trinity College Bristol and Regent College BC).

Students, no reason to pass up a free book. Professors, please let your students know about this textbook. Happy Greek-ing!

March 11, 2020

March 11, 2020 By

Dr. Bruce Longenecker talks about his new book In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World

 

 How did you get interested in studying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum?

Pompeii and Herculaneum are fascinating ancient sites. My interest in them grew out of my 2010 book Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty, and the Greco-Roman World. In that book, I examined economic dynamics within the Roman world and sought to understand Paul’s theology and mission in light of those dynamics. After I finished that large project, I imagined that there still might be more to do, with the next step being an examination of  the economic dynamics within a single indigenous context, to see how a localized setting might refine the more general approach I had taken in the book. The first-century towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were perfectly suited for taking things to the next level. I imagined that I might someday write a little article on the economic life of the Vesuvian towns as a supplement the book (a project that is still on my “to write” list, even ten years later).

What I didn’t count on is catching the Vesuvian bug (or what my sons call “ancient site-itis”). Pompeii and Herculaneum are a lot like Hotel California: “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” So for ten years now, those Vesuvian towns have increasingly become the backdrop to most of my thinking about the early Jesus-movement in the Roman world.

 

Why should students of the NT be interested in what historians and archaeologists have found in these cities?

There are a lot of different ways of studying the texts of the New Testament. One of the most fruitful ways is to attempt to interpret them in relation to what we know about the historical setting in which they were written. Nuances of meaning multiply incrementally as texts are situated within those settings. I think this conviction plays out in every chapter of In Stone and Story, with Pompeii and Herculaneum inviting us into the multifaceted textures of first-century urban settings — precisely the settings in which the majority of the early Jesus-followers were immersed. Although delving into the contours of life in these Vesuvian towns can be an end in itself, it can also help to refine our understanding of what was involved in the rather remarkable emergence of devotion to Jesus within the Roman world.

In this way, the task of exploring the emergence of Christianity within the first-century context captures a sense of the essential features of earliest forms of Jesus-devotion — never a bad thing, especially for those invested in considering how texts of the New Testament are to resonate within twenty-first-century contexts.

 Can you give a few examples of things in In Stone and Story that might surprise modern readers of the Bible (about ancient culture, social norms, values, laws, lifestyles, etc)?

If this were a rapid-fire round, I would highlight these things about life in first-century urban contexts in general:

  • some women had significant amount of influence in the public arena

  • there were notable differences in sexual ethics for men and for women

  • gladiators were the cultural icons of the day, like the rock stars of the 1960s and 1970s

  • people in the Roman world often thought it important to dine together in the presence of the dead

  • many ordinary people had attained some level of literacy, even if they weren’t among the literary elite

  • people were welcome to scratch or write graffiti on the external walls of other people’s houses (fortunately for us, since we know so much more about the Roman world as a consequence)

If I had to pick just one thing to mention more extensively, it might be how important the “mystery deities” were, with mystery devotion of various kinds spreading like wildfire through the Roman world. These deities were, in some ways, just a bit different from the “traditional deities” of the Greco-Roman panoply of deities. (In the Vesuvian towns, the two most significant deities of mystery devotion were Isis and Bacchus/Dionysus.). Throughout the Roman world, people seemed to think that mystery deities were more intimately and more caringly involved with their own lives, especially at times of sorrow and/or hardship — precisely because the mystery deities were themselves thought to have experienced sorrow and/or hardship. In the book In Stone and Story, I enjoyed tracking how some New Testament texts seem almost intentionally to resonate with some aspects of devotion to these popular mystery deities, even if only to contrast them with Jesus-devotion.

 Do you have a favorite story of anecdote from Pompeii or Herculaneum?

There is one graffito that always makes me smile, just because it is so “out there.” It translates this way: “It took 640 paces to walk back and forth between here and there ten times.” For someone to have wondered “how many paces would it take…” just seems so intriguingly whacky. But she/he didn’t just count the paces; she/he also thought it notable enough to record the results in a graffito. That is just a curiously exquisite moment in history! (Unfortunately, I don’t think it sheds much light on the emergence of Jesus-devotion.)

What writing projects are you working on next? 

I’m doing a number of things. Three edited volumes are in progress, and I’m at different stages of writing two monographs.

The editing projects include the New Cambridge Companion to Paul, which I’m putting the finishing touches on at the moment, expecting publication this summer. With James Aitken (Cambridge), I am co-editing a volume on the relevance of the Apocrypha and Septuagint for the study of the New Testament for Zondervan’s forthcoming multi-volume series on Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies. With David Wilhite (Truett Seminary), I am co-editing the Cambridge History of Ancient Christianity.

The monographs include (1) a study in the theology of Galatians and (2) a project with the working title Mystery Women, which will be a study of female Jesus-followers in Corinth in comparison with other women whose identity will remain a bit of a mystery for the time being. I am really excited by these two projects, both of which seem to take up equal amounts of mental time each and every day. I’m enjoying every minute of it.

 

February 19, 2020

February 19, 2020 By

This blog series introduces readers to (4) of the “big ideas” in Paul and the Language of Faith

For the previous post, see “Faith is Something You DO” 

 

Idea #2: “Faith Language Points to Covenant”

There has been a long-time theological conundrum in Pauline theology studies. One the one hand, “covenant” seems like such a major concept in the Old Testament. On the other hand, the term “covenant” hardly appears in the New Testament, not even very much in Paul who spends a lot of time quoting the OT.

But in the midst of my research on Paul’s use of pistis (“faith”), I made an interesting and surprising discovery. Jews, like Paul, were comfortable in this time period (2nd temple Judaism) using pistis to point to covenant-like relationships. First of all, pistis was used commonly in the wider Greek world in reference to relationships of concord and mutuality. Thus, it was a perfect general term for a covenant-like relationship. Secondly, pagans (non-Jews) did not really have a perfect equivalent culturally to the Jewish concept of covenant, so it makes sense Greek-speaking Jews would use pistis as a way of talking about such a social phenomenon.

But where is the evidence?

We find Hellenistic Jewish texts where pistis clearly stands in the place of what one might expect as covenant language. For example, in the book of Nehemiah, we read about the rededication of the walls of the temple. The Jewish leaders make a special pledge of obedience to God. In the Hebrew text we read that they “cut” (krt) a “sure covenant” (emunah) (see Neh 9:38). The Greek Septuagint renders this as they “established” (diatithēmi) a pistis, which we might translate as “pledge of faith,” but which functions equivalently as a covenant. (Fascinating, right?)

Similarly, in Josephus’ Antiquities, he regularly substitutes out diathēkē (covenant) in favor of the plural form of pistis (pisteis), which could be translated “mutual pledges of fidelity” (See e.g.,  Ant. 6.228; 7.24; 10.63). Why does Josephus do this? Several scholars argue that, if Josephus expected pagans to read Antiquities, pisteis would communicate these kinds of relationships better than diathēkē. (See also Sirach 22:23 for a similar covenant-like use of pistis)

What does this mean for the study of Paul?

In many ways, it closes the perceived gap between the OT and Paul. Whereas we might have thought Paul didn’t have a “covenant”-oriented theology, now we might better conclude we were not looking in the right places. Now, not all of Paul’s uses of pistis are neon signs pointing to “covenant,” but on certain occasions this is a helpful perspective.

For example, in Galatians 3:23-26 Paul refers to the coming of pistis (“faith”). It makes little sense to see this as the coming of human faith; after all, human faith has been around at least since Abraham. This seems to be about the coming of Christ; but if that is the case, why didn’t Paul just say “when Christ came”? Perhaps pistis here refers to the new way humans could relate to God through Christ, a covenant-like relationship mediated by the person of Jesus Christ (and not mediated by Torah and works of the Law). It makes sense why Paul chose pistis if he was talking about a whole new way to connect with God.

Read more about pistis and covenant in these chapters of Paul and the Language of Faith

-Ch3: “Pistis in Ancient Non-Jewish and Jewish Literature”

-Ch8: “Covenantal Pistism: Pistis and the Quest for Paul’s Soteriology”

 

 

 

October 11, 2019

October 11, 2019 By

PGPIf you follow me on social media, you might know that I am really excited about the new book, Paul and the Giants of Philosophy, edited by Joseph R. Dodson and David E. Briones. I have a short essay in this work, and I have had a chance to read some of the other essays. It is an excellent comparative study, bringing the Apostle Paul into conversation with the moralists and big thinkers of his time. Below is a bit more about one of the editors, Joseph aka “Joey” Dodson (who I am going to hang out with this weekend, as it happens!).

NKG: How did you become interested in the subject of Paul and ancient philosophers?

 JRD: I became enamored with Socrates and Plato in ninth-grade when Mr. Gilmore lectured on their lives and works. I doubt Mr. Gilmore was familiar with N.T. Wright’s comment about Plato being the “New Testament” for the people in the first century, but Mr. Gilmore said something similar. “Socrates was like the Greek Jesus, and Plato’s books were kinda like the Greek Bible.” Intrigued, I checked out my library’s dusty copy of The Republic. Being one of those too-cool-for-school popular kids (e.g., an athlete, the prom king and most of the other John Hughes’ stereotypes), I remember hiding The Republic between the seats in my truck to keep my friends from seeing it so as not to ruin my reputation. Since I was also a part of an anti-intellectual church tradition, I would also stash the book under my bed to avoid freaking my parents out because their little Baptist boy was reading pagan philosophy. [NKG: LOL!]

It took me a couple of years in college to realize I didn’t have to hide my love for learning and that it was really okay to read ancient philosophers in addition to my Bible. This became all the more the case when I was assigned to write an undergraduate exegetical paper on Paul in Athens (Acts 17), where the apostle himself quotes philosophers and where Luke presents Paul as a “new Socrates.” (It dawned on me: I too was a “spermologos”!) [NKG: editor’s note, spermologos means “seedpicker” = “babbler”; get your mind out of the gutter] Later on I discovered Paul was not the only Jew to employ and integrate ancient philosophy. I started reading the writings of Philo, the Wisdom of Solomon, 4 Maccabees, and other Jewish works, which in turn lead me further beyond looking at Paul in light of Socrates and Plato to investigating Paul in dialogue with Seneca and Epictetus (for that story, see https://dailystoic.com/joseph-dodson/ ).

NKG: This is an academic book (Paul and the Giants of Philosophy, PGP), but the audience in mind is students, pastors, and anyone interested in the New Testament and in Paul. (Dodson edited a more scholarly book called Paul and the Greco-Roman Philosophical Tradition and also Paul and Seneca in Dialogue). Why would you say this kind of book (PGP) is helpful for Christians in general? What can pastors, for example, learn from this study? 

In The Republic, Socrates argued humanity would never reach the eutopia until kings are philosophers and philosophers are kings. I have a similar burden. It is to raise up pastors and Christian leaders who have the mind of a scholar and the heart of a shepherd. Because most people do not have the time or energy for academic works, I desire to take what’s cooking in the ivory tower and walk it down to the church in order to share it with our brothers and sisters doing the amazing work of ministry on the ground. Since placing Paul in dialogue with an influential ancient philosopher has been a burgeoning enterprise in the academy lately, I asked some of these authors to take their work and boil it down for students, pastors and interested laypersons. Similar to what John Barclay says in the preface, I myself learned so many new things about Paul and his theology from reading these essays. Aspects and passages at which I had previous yawned, now – because of these new insights – I gaped. “Wait, is that what Paul meant by faith in 1 Corinthians?!,” “Wow, that really changes how we should apply Romans 14-15 in our churches,” and so on and so forth. To borrow from what my co-editor, Dave Briones, says in the introduction: comparisons (properly done) lead to clarity in understanding the gospel, which leads to more poignancy in preaching to our people and to greater effectiveness in making disciples of them.

NKG: When you are not “scholaring,” what are your favorite hobbies?

I love traveling and watching Netflix with my wife, hiking and hanging out with my boys, drinking coffee and reading poetry with my daughter, and watching sports (especially the New Orleans Saints).

NKG: What are some other writing projects you have in the pipeline or are working on?

 JRD: Well I am not nearly as prolific as you are, but related to this interview, I am writing the “Philosophy” entry for the new edition of IVP’s Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. I have also been asked to write an essay on 4 Maccabees for The Septuagint and Old Testament Apocrypha volume (ed. James Aitken and Bruce Longenecker). In addition to these, I am writing a book on Romans 7 for Lexham Press, a commentary on Colossians-Philemon for Thomas Nelson, and one on Romans for Brill. 

NKG: Thanks for sharing, see you soon! 

 

June 6, 2019

June 6, 2019 By

Does 1 Timothy 2:12 Prohibit Women from Leading and Preaching over Men in the Church?

For those who argue that women should not be preachers, elders, or leaders (over men) in the church, they often appeal to 1 Timothy 2:12 as their most direct and clear biblical foundation. Here are some questions I want to discuss:

  • Is Paul offering universal and general teaching in 1 Timothy 2:8-15?

  • Does this passage teach that women cannot have authority over men in the Church?

 

1 Timothy is an occasional letter, not a comprehensive church leadership manual

The “Pastoral Epistles” are situational letters, from Paul to a particular individual (here Timothy) in order to address certain circumstances. Now, all of Paul’s letters contain some general teaching. But, sometimes, his teaching is more limited to one situation. Only the literary/rhetorical and socio-historical context will tell us whether the teaching is “once and for all.”

Did Paul write 1 Timothy?

Scholars continue to debate whether Paul actually wrote 1 Timothy, or if perhaps it was written in a later era by someone else. My own view is that it probably has some historical connection to the apostle Paul. I admit its style of writing and argumentation don’t match letters like Philippians and Romans, but I don’t see any contradictions in theological teachings when 1 Timothy is compared against the so-called undisputed letters.

Looking at the Text in Context (1 Timothy 2:8-15)

8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve.14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.15 But women will be saved through childbearing– if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety. (NIV)

While Paul has some very firm commands to pass on to the Ephesian church through Timothy, one can’t help but notice that he argues in this manner:

-Do THIS, don’t do THIS

The prohibitions (2:8, 9, 12) included here lead me to believe there were serious problems going on in this church precisely on these matters. I think it is fair to assume men were disputing and creating a ruckus. Women were flaunting wealth. And, thus, I take 2:11-12 to be referring to clear misbehavior on the part of some of the Ephesian women.

If we take this as corrective teaching, we can better understand Paul’s harsh tone. Paul recognizes this church has been infected with many diseases of false teaching, in-fighting, and genderized furtive behavior—and he calls the theological physician, Timothy, to put the church on a very strict lifestyle and diet.

What Does “Assume Authority” (NIV) Mean?

This is where things get really tricky. When Paul normally talks about authority (power and leadership over another), he uses kyrieuo (rule over; w.g., Rom 7:1), or some form of exousia (e.g., Rom 13). These are relatively common word groups. But here in 1 Timothy 2:12 Paul uses an extremely rare and unusual Greek word authenteo. It occurs less than a dozen times in ancient Greek (first century AD and prior). Compare that to exousiazo (“to have authority over”) which occurs over 900 times in ancient Greek. We will get to what authenteo means in a minute, but just take a second to think about this: why would Paul choose such a rare word unless it fit a strange and rare situation?

So what does authenteo mean? Many English translations render it as “have/exercise authority” in a neutral/positive sense.

HCSB: “to have authority”

ESV: to exercise authority”

NET: “to exercise authority”

RSV: “to have authority”

Essentially, then, these translation treat authenteo as a synonym of exousiazo. But, again, if they are so close in meaning, why choose such a rare word? 

Based on the meager evidence we have for how ancient Greek writers used authenteo (and other words based on the same root), another set of translators believe it has a more negative meaning of domineer (especially based on other forms of the root).

So the King James: “to usurp authority,” and the NIV seems to have moved in this direction: “to assume authority.” This kind of meaning is supported by the Latin Vulgate translation which reads dominari  (from which we get the English word “dominate”).

To my mind, it would make all the sense in the world that Paul would choose this rare word authenteo if Paul wanted to tell women not to try and dominate over men with their teaching or power. In this kind of situation, Paul would not be rejecting women who want to be equal in the church. He would be demoting women who want to seize total control.

Chew on this #1: It is hard for lay people to fully understand just how rare the usage of authenteo was at Paul’s time. So think about it this way: have you ever used a word that (1) you will never use again, (2) you will never hear from another person ever, (3) and will never read anywhere ever again? That is how unusual it would have been for Paul to use authenteo. So why would he not have chosen a more common word if he was giving a direct and clear universal command through a third party (Timothy)?

Chew on this #2: authenteo does not occur (elsewhere) in the New Testament. It does not occur in the Septuagint (including the OT Apocrypha). It does not occur in the Greek OT Pseudepigrapha. It does not appear in any of the works of Josephus. Or Philo. Or any of the Apostolic Fathers. Isn’t that strange?

What about the Appeal to a Creation Story?

Some interpreters argue that women (universally) are taught here to be submissive to men because of the appeal to Adam and Eve in 2:13-14. Certainly when Paul points to key Old Testament stories, he has a broader point in mind. But the focus of this Scriptural appeal is not based on the inherent superiority of men due to privilege of the firstborn. After all, Paul elsewhere places the majority of blame on Adam, not (Rom 5; 1 Cor 15), not Eve. The mentioning of Eve’s deception by Paul is his way of humbling any arrogant Ephesian women who want to cause trouble for the men, believing they were wiser.

Chew on this #3: How could the same Paul who (supposedly) told women to be quiet in church and listen to the men teach also send Phoebe to deliver Romans and commend her as his patroness and deacon/minister? How could he maintain such a cordial relationship with Priscilla who certainly was not quiet in her leadership?

Conclusion

I understand this passage to be corrective of a disturbingly imbalanced situation in Ephesus where women were intentionally trying to domineer over men. Paul’s concern is not to force women into submission in the church under men, but to cultivate a healthy community by rebuking troublemakers. Everyone should learn peacefully and cooperatively.

Further Resources

This is a very complex discussion with many moving parts, so those with some Greek knowledge and training might want to read more. See below:

Cynthia Long Westfall (advanced article on authenteo)

Linda Belleville (more comprehensive discussion of 1 Timothy 2)

May 20, 2019

May 20, 2019 By

Wow, there was so much feedback and interest on social media from my first post, I feel like I should do a quick second one while I have a bit of time (sitting at the beach, “working hard”).

Translation and Terms: The Devil is in the Details

I am being honest when I say, one of the most important things I did to help me understand the “women in ministry” issue was: learn Greek and Hebrew. (And I took advanced Greek, advanced Hebrew, Classic and Ecclesiastical Latin, Aramaic, and Akkadian for good measure.)

Why?

So many people over the years had said to me: just read your Bible and the answer is clear. By this, they mean that there are many “clear” passages that forbid women from being pastors or preachers. But here is the problem: “translators are liars” (so the famous proverb goes). That is not a cop-out. Bible translators have to simplify texts to communicate clearly, but all along the way they make lots of little choices, and they have to “take sides” on issues even if the answer isn’t fully clear. So, my house of cards began to collapse when I was confronted with many translation issues. For example

Was Phoebe (Rom 16:1; diakonos) a “servant” (KJV), “deacon” (NIV), or “deaconess” (RSV)? Keep in mind Paul used diakonos for himself (1 Cor 3:5) and Christ (Rom 15:8), and it can also be translated “minister.”

When Paul calls women to be “silent,” is the issue one of lack of words, or is it about respect, peace, and harmony in the church? The verb sigao refers to being quiet, but it can be used in reference to quiet or still waters (LXX Ps 107:29). In Exodus, Moses instructs the Israelites crossing the river that “The Lord will fight for you, and you will be quiet” (LXX Exodus 14:14 NETS). Is Moses concerned with silence? No, so most translations of the Hebrew and Septuagint text prefer the language of peace or stillness.

Then we have the issue of “ordination” and “pastors” and “preaching.” There is little in the New Testament that lays out the specifications of ordination (see 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6). As for “pastors,” this does not appear to me to be a dominant “office” in the first century. In Acts, Paul tells the Ephesians “elders” that the Spirit had made them overseers of the church, to shepherd the people (20:28). Paul mentions pastors/shepherds briefly in Ephesians 4:11. Aside from that, we know very little about “pastors” and their responsibilities. To say a woman cannot be a “pastor” is to place some construct on the Bible that is not explicitly there. We know far more about what Paul thinks about bishops than about pastors. As for “preaching” (i.e., “women cannot preach”), the NT says virtually nothing about sermons and what we think of as preaching (i.e., Bible lessons for the church). The language of preaching (kerusso, kerygma) in the NT is almost always about the proclamation of the gospel. And if rocks are qualified to do this (Luke 19:40), I can’t imagine women wouldn’t be.

Now, I am fine with modern ordination, and pastors, and elders, and preaching, but we must be cognizant of the fact that we sometimes read our modern assumptions about church practices back into the Bible. That is dangerous!

So, a crucial part of my journey was knowing what is and is not actually in the Bible, and seeing the complex, but beautiful Greek text which begs careful study. We will try to do some of that careful study, but for now I want to just reinforce the notion that it is misleading to say: The answer is clear in MY Bible. That usually means: The answer is clear in MY FAVORITE ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

Recently I heard Tish Harrison Warren say that whether you are egalitarian or complementarian, you can only be about 80% sure you are right. I think Warren is right. Scripture offers so many pieces of this puzzle to analyze, and it is really hard to put it all together. It is a beautiful mess, but it is anything but 100% clear to anyone.

In later posts, I will dig into particular texts, church roles, and questions about gender and leadership. I am not trying to throw everything out the window when I say that looking at the Greek makes things messy. I just want to emphasize that the first step in anyone’s journey on this issue must include intellectual humility and a sober recognition that the textual and hermeneutical issues are complex, especially when you look at the text in the original languages.

 

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